A Sapphire Star
by Your Elegant Goddess
Summary: Liara and F Shepard, going through the hardships, and rewards, of raising a family after the horrific aftermath of the reapers. Garrus, Zaeed, Aria, Matriarch Aethyta, and others will make appearances .
1. Lost At First

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Bioware related. I wish I did though :)**

**I wrote this after ME2 and had to re-tweak it to fit ME3. It may seem a little odd but I wanted to write something that had to do with Liara and Female Shepard going through the happiness and hardships of raising a family together after all the chaos of ME3. I know it says "liara and (f) shep" as the characters but they don't really show up in this first chapter but they will later on. Please, enjoy.**

* * *

It was all too frightening.

The air was dank and moldy, leaving a bad taste in her little mouth and the people exuded nothing but cruelty. Snarling Vorcha and hard jawed Turians eyed her with suspicion, like as if she were there to tear out their beating hearts and devour it. She could feel her own heart beat within her fragile chest as it fluttered around in absolute panic. Perhaps this was doom that she was feeling, and the very end of her young existence. With loneliness gripping her heart, the child of Commander Sylvana Shepard and Dr. Liara T'Soni gaped at the flashing entrance to an edifice with the name "Afterlife" emblazoned above it in brightly undulating letters.

The lavender Asari doll she held in her hand, that her grandparent, Aethyta, had made for her before her birth, was clutched tightly to her chest. She knew she had to call her parents and something told her that the flashy building before her, that seemed to be engulfed by digital flames, was the best place she would ever find a means of communication. With a stout heart, she scurried along the side of the building and waited for the doors to open and tumbled in as quickly as she could as an immense Krogan was being thrown out. Loud, booming music slapped her in the face the moment she entered and she lost herself within a sea of clubbers.

She navigated as best as she could, with her doll clutched tightly in her hand, and weaved her little body between the throng of crowds that knotted the dance floor. The music seemed to have reached a fever pitch and the lights wreaked sheer havoc upon her innocent senses. She looked up, trying to scan for a less crowded place but her eyes caught the sight of grinding Asari hips as Asari strippers danced precariously upon a suspended platform. Some of them resembled her mother but the little one knew that none of them were; her mother was the most beautiful Asari there ever lived and her father sire agreed whole-heartedly.

As the child was lost in the comforting thoughts of her mother, she accidentally stumbled upon stairs and bumped her head against the armored leg of an angry Batarian. Instant fear gripped her heart as the Batarian stared at the child quizzically and adjusted his assault rifle. The child began to charge up her biotics in a futile attempt to at least fight for her life so her parents would be proud but the Batarian scratched the side of his head with the nuzzle of his rifle and began to laugh.

"What the hell you doing here, kid? How did you get in?" The Batarian asked in a low grumble.

The little one said nothing and stared at the Batarian's many eyes.

"Maybe you should go see Aria, she might want to fetch a nice price for you instead." Gruffly, the Batarian grabbed the little one by the collar of her pink, cotton pajamas and lifted her up like a bag of stinking trash.

He carried her up a few stairs and plopped her down in front of a brooding Asari. The Asari was beautiful, of course not as beautiful as her mother, but she was unique and elegant in her own way. She sat arrogantly upon a lavish couch, with her arms crossed and a stone-cold expression across her stoic face. The moment Aria T'Loak saw the child, her eyes lit up and her arms unwound to her side. Curiosity had piqued her interest immediately.

"A child? Really, Anto, where the hell did you get that?" Aria sounded annoyed and Anto could feel the sweat begin to form on the back of his neck.

"This thing ran into my leg. I have no idea how she got past security but she did. What you want me to do with her?" Anto asked, almost timidly.

Aria rose from her seat, like a regal queen from her throne, and walked closer to the child. She noticed the little one clutched a doll to her chest but she showed no expression of fear upon her face; only curiosity. Aria kept her eyes focused on the child as she waved Anto away.

"What is your name, little one?" Aria asked as she stared intently at the child.

"Adrasteia Shepard." The child said with a soft but solid tone to her voice.

Aria began to laugh wholeheartedly, causing the strippers around her to stop dancing momentarily. The queen of Omega returned to her seat and studied the child with sizzling eyes.

"My reports say that you're barely 6 years old. What are you doing on Omega? Aren't your parents ready to tear the universe apart due to your disappearance?" Aria asked, clearly too amused with the situation.

"I need to call them, I got lost."

"6 years old and already rebelling against the system. You truly are Shepard's little spawn of havoc." Aria said as she turned on her heel and resumed her seat upon the couch. "I know that you came here with an uptight Turian named Garrus Vakarian and a mangled human by the name of Zaeed Massani. However, you being with them is a trivia in itself. The two males came here to purchase weapons but why did they have you?" Aria asked coolly as she crossed her arms.

Adrasteia felt like as if she were being scolded by her parents and Aria's laser-like gaze was not helping.

"Papa had to buy an anniversary gift for mommy and she couldn't find a babysitter. The only people who were free were Garrus and Zaeed and..."The child stopped to catch her breath.

"You call Shepard 'papa'?"

"Mommy says it sounds cute and since she's my father sire, it seemed appropriate."

"You're a little too articulate for a 6 year old."

"I'm in the Gifted Program for Exceptional Biotic Children. My IQ is really high."

"Don't show off."

"You're a little rude."

A stripper near Aria stumbled for a second as she gaped at the child's boldness. Aria narrowed her eyes and stealthily rose from her seat.

"Little one, do you know the one rule of Omega?" Aria hissed as she began to slowly circle the child with the predatory fix of a hungry feline.

Andrasteia hugged her limp doll against her cheek as she tried to find comfort in the lifeless touch of the stuffed cloth. She stared down at her fuzzy pink slippers and closed her eyes as the fear of imminent punishment dawned upon her.

"I just want to go home...I miss my mommy and papa..." Andrasteia whispered softly as she crumpled to the floor into a tiny ball of pink and blue and began to cry quietly into her doll.

A stinging sensation tore sharply through Aria's usually frozen heart as she witnessed the child's emotional break. This little one was only 6, practically an infant in human terms and here she was, being interrogated like a common thug by the brutish Asari queen. In any other circumstance, Aria would have found it within her logic to have Anto shoot a few rounds into the child and euthanize it but she unconsciously rose from her seat and knelt beside the quivering ball of pale blue skin within trembling pink pajamas.

"There, there, little Andra. Please, do not cry." Aria's voice took upon a motherly tone as she uneasily rubbed the back of the sobbing child.

Watery, cyan eyes looked up into comforting blue eyes of Aria T'Loak.

"My papa calls me Andra...mommy says it's lazy to cut a person's name in half but I like it." Andrasteia sniffed and wiped away excess mucus from her nose with the back of her doll.

Aria's eyes softened and she cracked a small smile for the child. Before she could reply, a crackle of sniper fire and the crunching blast of a shotgun tore through Omega, inciting immediate chaos. Aria's bodyguards were quickly on the defensive as they struggled to hold their position against the unknown attackers. Strippers fled into varying directions and clubbers tried to find their way to the nearest exits as they screamed for mercy. Aria instinctively reached down and cradled the child into one arm as she rose to her feet and pulled out a heavily modified handgun from her belt.

A cloud of smoke billowed out from the side entrances to her 'headquarters' and occasional bursts of light shone through as weapons replied to each other blindly. Aria slowly stepped back towards her couch, with the child carefully faced away from the open entrances and her handgun poised to shoot anything that moved. A few seconds later, an eerie calm enveloped the atmosphere and Aria tried to access her communications but the only report she received was Anto's painful groans.

"If you're smart, you'll put the child down." The overlapping pitches in high and low tones that marked the voice of a Turian, crawled out of the mist.

Aria engulfed her and Andrasteia in a protective barrier and her biotics were teeming to be unleashed.

"Ah, Garrus Vakarian. You've finally come. Took you long enough, didn't it?" Aria's arrogant voice slapped Garrus in the face as he emerged from the smoke with a sniper rifle securely gripped within his clawed hands.

"This don't have to get ugly, you Asari bitch." Zaeed Massani said gruffly as he followed Garrus and pointed a stout shotgun at Aria.

"Nothing can get as ugly as your half-chewed face or Garrus's rachni-kissed mandible." Aria spat out as she pointed her gun at Zaeed and primed her biotics to slam Garrus with a singularity.

"Just give us the child and we'll let you live. If you were planning on selling her, you can take a step back right here and walk away with your sorry life." Garrus was in no mood to play as he said his words and his jaws became hard-locked in anger.

"Garrus and Zaeed are my uncles, they won't hurt me." Andrasteia said with her face nuzzled against Aria's shoulder.

"It's okay, sweetie plum, we'll get you out of there and blow that octopus's head off at the same time." Zaeed growled as he reloaded his shotgun.

"Sweetie plum?" Aria asked quizzically.

"It's a nickname we came up with because she's as cute and sweet as a plum." Garrus answered back as he smiled at Andrasteia, causing the child to nod at him in acknowledging love.

"Really? That's the best you idiots could come up with? Absolutely pathetic!"

"Can we shoot her already, her tentacles are annoying me more than they usually do." Zaeed quipped.

"Can you not be so insensitive...I'm an Asari too..." Andraestia said glumly as she stared daggers at Zaeed.

"Sorry."

"Alright, enough! She came into MY club because you two morons couldn't babysit correctly."

"I'm pretty sure you knew she was with us. The least you could have done was return her back to the rightful ship instead of throwing us into a panic!" Garrus shouted back.

"Who brings a baby to OMEGA for weapons dealing?"

"There was a good, one-time buy for mods out here and it was only going to be a few minutes!"

"Typical male response!"

"I'm pretty sure the filthy bitch of Omega was willing to sell little plum to the highest bidder. You forget who her parents are, you damned whore-turned-Omega queen?" Zaeed added in.

"Language!" Aria and Garrus shouted at the scarred mercenary which caused Zaeed to grumble in frustration.

Andrasteia dropped her forehead against Aria's shoulder and shook her head.

"I think I'll go home now..." Andrasteia said as she looked up into Aria's face.

"Are you sure you feel safe with these two...imbeciles?" Aria gritted her teeth as she looked at the old human and the scarred Turian.

"They're my uncles and they won't hurt me." Andrasteia hugged Aria tightly and smiled lovingly at the beautiful Asari. "You can be my new auntie! Auntie Aria! Promise to visit me when you can?"

Aria couldn't stop herself from nodding at the child while Zaeed growled profanities at the floor. Andrasteia was gently placed upon the ground and she scurried over to Garrus who picked her up carefully and wrapped an arm protectively around the child. He nodded at Aria and turned on his heel to leave. Zaeed followed Garrus into the rubble of what was Afterlife and Aria followed them with her eyes.

Before the trio disappeared out of an exit, Andrasteia's sparkling cyan eyes were gleaming with smiles as she waved sweet goodbyes to Aria. Aria felt an emotion of bitter sadness sweep across her but she managed to force a smile to the child and waved back bereaved but stoically, like a lone queen left all alone to the broken remnants of her throne.

* * *

"...and that was what happened and Auntie Aria promised to visit me! Isn't that so fun, granny poo?" Andrasteia exclaimed excitedly as she hugged Matriarch Aethyta around the neck.

They were back on Armali, the beautiful city that Liara T'Soni grew up in Thessia. The rebuilding process was still in effect even after all the years that had passed by but Armali was beginning to flourish and return to its once beautiful self again. The Shepard family had decided to spread their roots there and raise little Andrasteia within a world that her own mother, and grandparents, had grew up in.

Now here they were, in the quaint kitchen of the Shepard household. Garrus and Zaeed had planned to wait at the house with the little one until Shepard and Liara returned but they were greeted with Matriarch Aethyta, who had returned from grocery shopping. They had aptly forgotten that the matriarch now resided with the Shepards and before they could stop her, little Andrasteia had vomited her whole ordeal out to the stunned Matriarch like as if all she did was take an every-day walk in the park.

The tough matriarch felt a twitch begin at her temple as she stared down Garrus and Zaeed from behind the kitchen counter with her groceries sprawled about haphazardly.

"You idiots really took a baby to Omega." Aethyta began after she examined Andrasteia for any injury and gingerly put her on the floor.

"It was only for a few minutes..." Garrus began.

"It's OMEGA! The filth of the galaxy! A Krogan's waste is cleaner than that place!" Aethyta roared as she primed her biotics.

Andrasteia scurried out of the room and went to go play with her doll.

"Hey there, granny poo, at least the little plum didn't get hurt-" Zaeed was cut off as Aethyta threw him against the wall with a flourish of blue biotic power streaming from her body.

The hot-tempered matriarch pinched the bridge of her nose and took in a sharp breath.

"Her parents will be home later tonight. So you two better be prepared to explain why their first born daughter was swimming around the muck of Omega."

Garrus rubbed the back of his neck while Zaeed groaned as he peeled himself off the ground.

"I know things like this shouldn't be kept as secrets but can't we keep this one...classified?" Garrus purred as he smiled at Aethyta.

"Her mother is the shadow broker, you think you can keep this from her forever? I bet you her 'people' keep her informed if her little one so much as passes gas." Aethyta cackled as she returned to unloading her groceries onto the kitchen counter.

"The little plum is alright and no harm was done. Me and Garrus here took down Afterlife without much trouble to get her back. You can at least vouch for us if sweetie plum says anything to her parents." Zaeed said as he cracked his back and stretched out his arm.

Before Aethyta could respond, the front door creaked open and Andrasteia's fluttery voice burst out into excitement as she greeted her mother. Liara walked into the kitchen, with her daughter nuzzling her face into her mother's neck, and greeted the three. She eyed Garrus and Zaeed suspiciously as they failed to make eye contact with her and she stared quizzically at her Dad as she smiled toothily at Liara.

"Is something the matter?" Liara asked softly as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"Nope, nothing...nope." Garrus quickly answered as Zaeed smiled and shook his head.

Liara looked at her child and Andrasteia's eyes were bright and exuberant.

"How was your day, my little darling?" Liara asked.

Andrasteia opened her mouth and began to tell the tale of her day as Garrus and Zaeed squeamishly prepared for the Asari mother to flay them alive while Matriarch Aethyta laughed as she resumed organizing the groceries.

The day was going fine, indeed.


	2. Supernova

**Wow, thank you all for so much love for just the first chapter. It was absolutely amazing! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**By the way, a onesie is a full-body pajama for little children and Shepard's red, implanted eyes are actually a PC mod called 'red illusive man eyes' that I used for my ME2 Shepard and I absolutely love it. So, if all of that sounds a little weird while you read it well...I'm sorry :P**

* * *

"Mm...I don't think that's right, granny poo. If you move that part up then you won't be able to line up the white square with the other white squares until you pivot the middle and the bottom parts." Andrasteia Shepard pouted as she tried to take the Rubik's cube from the matriarch's unsteady grasp.

It was a few days after the events on Omega and life had returned to simple normality after Liara T'Soni Shepard slammed Garrus Vakarian into a wall and threw Zaeed Massani out of the kitchen window as punishment for putting her baby in danger. Zaeed was stuck in the hospital with a broken back and Garrus had stitches to hold one of his mandibles together as a result of their lack of parenting common sense. Now, Liara was definitely on high alert and had put her father in charge to watch her little one while she went out to help with rebuilding the city's museum.

Matriarch Aethyta felt like she was being punished herself as she was trying to pass the time by playing a game with her granddaughter, only to find that Andrasteia's definition of fun had to do with a frustrating contraption called a Rubik's cube.

"Darling, this thing is so dumb. Where'd you get it? One of the dig-sites your mommy goes to sometimes? It seems much too archaic to be Asari made." Aethyta grumbled as she rotated one part of the cube only to find that she was getting further and further away from completion.

Andrasteia gave her grandfather a frustrated look and took the cube from her hands.

"Papa had it in her office, she said she bought it on Earth when she was a little girl. It's really fun if you know what to do." The child said nonchalantly as she rotated one of the faces.

"Don't you want to do something fun? Like, knock a bird out of the sky with your biotics?"

"Uhm...no, not really." Two faces of the cube had already been completed and the others were being rapidly accomplished.

"Really? That's always fun to me." Aethyta said as she grabbed her glass of brandy from the coffee table and took a sip, leaning back into the softness of the couch. "Or, how about I teach you how to head-butt? Let's go head-butt your papa!"

Andrasteia's little tongue was peeking from the corner of her mouth as she finished the remaining face to the cube and presented it to her bored grandfather with a triumphant smile.

"See, so easy!"

Aethyta rolled her eyes and picked up the child with a firm grace.

"Can't you be like other children sometimes and not be so smart? You make your granny poo feel stupid sometimes." Aethyta teased as she walked towards the kitchen with Andrasteia clinging to her neck.

"You want me to not say smart things? How dumb do you want me to be? Like 'A is for Elephant' kind of dumb?" Andrasteia was very serious as she tried to ease the situation to her grandfather's liking.

"Shepard, you really need to teach your kid to be more like a kid and not some smarty pants like her mother or her grandmother." Aethyta said as she opened the door to the kitchen.

Sylvana Shepard was leaning on the counter, drinking iced coffee when the matriarch came in with a mischievous grin. Shepard's usual shoulder length black hair was much longer now and she kept it pinned against her head with a human contraption called a 'claw'. A black tank top and shorts adorned her petite, toned frame and so did a few scars, thanks to the fight with the Reapers. Her eyes, which the Illusive Man had given to her upon her resurrection, were a ruby red version of the Illusive Man's sky blue ones. Aethyta never got used to Shepard having such glowing, fire ruby eyes but Shepard never had the time to get them switched out and since Liara had remarked that she had become fond of the implants; they were here to stay until the wife deemed it undesirable.

"What do you mean, matriarch?" Shepard asked through a smile as she hoisted Andrasteia from Aethyta's arms and kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Granny poo can't do a Rubik's cube so she said I should learn to head-butt." The child informed her parent while clutching the cube close to her chest.

"She has the potential to be such a kick-ass Commando if only she would practice with her biotics and hand-to-hand combat skills now." Aethyta said.

"Mommy says people only curse because of their limited vocabulary, granny poo..."

Aethyta became silent as her eyes became smoldering coals of discontent.

"Liara wants her to pursue whatever she wants and I don't really like the idea of my little baby out there as a Commando." Shepard cooed as she rubbed her daughter's belly, inciting a ripple of giggles from the baby Asari.

"Don't you want to go kick some major butt out there, darling?" Aethyta asked Andrasteia.

"I don't know yet but I don't really want to kick anyone's butt."

"That's a good girl." Shepard praised her daughter with a smile that always brought light to Andrasteia's little world.

Aethyta smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand while she took a sip of her brandy. The matriarch grumbled and left the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong, papa?"

"No, my dear. Granny poo just needs a nap. Are you hungry?"

"I am very hungry. Is mommy going to come home soon?"

Shepard looked at her watch and pursed her lips.

"Mommy said she will be running a bit late tonight so you and me get to eat dinner together."

Andrasteia nodded her head and smiled, causing her father to drizzle her with light kisses. The two went off to spend an evening together. Just father and daughter.

* * *

Thessia now had an extension program of Grissom Academy placed in Armali for biotic children of exceptional quality. Grissom Academy was the Alliance program's premiere institute for human biotics but they decided to branch out into other systems and integrate biotics from other species into the program as well. However, the Gifted Program for Exceptional Biotic Children was a unique program that was only available on Thessia, due to the high influx of strong biotic Asari children, and so Andrasteia did not have to venture far from home to seek a great education.

The little one was lucky that Jack was transferred to the new program on Thessia as the Head Administrator and was to be under the finest tutelage the galaxy had to offer. Jack had visited the Shepard home a few times before Andrasteia was accepted into the program and was lovingly referred to as 'Auntie Jack' by the darling Asari babe. However, here at the sparkling new institute, Jack withheld her familiar love for Andrasteia by pushing the little one as hard as she could. She knew the child had the potential to be a walking supernova if she wanted to but she was much too delicate and caring and Jack was trying to peel away those confines. However, her love for the little girl always tended to get in the way.

"Andrasteia, blast that target out of the damned sky!" Jack screamed as she watched a small group of children scurry around in a training room full of floating targets that she had suspended in the air with her own biotics.

"But it's in the shape of a pterodactyl, they're extinct so why would I want to shoot it down!" Andrasteia screamed back defiantly from the forefront of the group.

Jack shook her head and grit her teeth.

"It's made out of cardboard, plum! Just knock it out before I throw you at it."

Andrasteia stared angrily at her Auntie Jack as she powered up her biotics and unleashed an electric blue shockwave at the target, causing it to explode into tiny pieces.

"Thank you for following orders with me only telling you TWICE! Now, Pip Squeak, your turn!" Jack ordered a lilac colored Asari child to try out her skills.

"My name is Portia! And, I can't do it right now." The child cried out.

"My god, is everyone going to talk back to me today? What's your problem, Pip Squeak?"

"I haven't had my juice and I feel diabetic!"

Jack could be visibly seen knocking her head in frustration against the back wall.

"You're an Asari and you guys don't get diabetic!"

There was a moment of silence while Portia looked to Andrasteia for support but the Asari child with cyan colored eyes could only shrug at her friend.

"I really want juice though." Portia said, dejected.

Jack shut off her biotics, letting the targets fall to the ground.

"Fine, ten minute break and we do this again and NO MORE TALKING BACK." Jack grumbled out of the training room.

"Well, the kids really have a mind of their own, don't they?" Garrus Vakarian said as Jack and the children entered the Break room.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked as she greeted Garrus with a handshake.

"Just here to make sure Plum is doing alright." Garrus answered with a smile as Andrasteia came up to give him a hug and handed him a juice box, which he gladly accepted.

The little one gave one to Jack as well and the former convict couldn't help but smile at the child and tried to give her a discrete pat on the head.

"Liara really tore up your face pretty good, huh?" Jack giggled as she stared at the bandages holding Garrus's face together.

"I didn't think she would have done that in front of Plum but I don't think she really gave it much thought before she whipped me and Zaeed ."

Jack stuck a tiny straw into the juice box and took a sip.

"Yeah, Plum came in here telling her best friend about how her mother almost killed her uncles a few days ago and I was hoping it would incite some motivation but it seemed to have the adverse affect for them. I can honestly say that I am at a loss with some of the best biotic children the galaxy will EVER see and all they want to do is study. They actually prefer to read books instead of blasting something into pieces."

Garrus took a sip from his own juice and thought for a moment.

"I'll help you out training them. They're only babies after all, you have to gently coax them into doing something."

Jack laughed and tossed her empty juice box into a trash can.

"Being with Tali really softened you up, scar face. Alright, let's see what you can do then. LADIES, back to training!" Jack barked as she held the door open for the children to file out.

A collective groan emanated from the small group and they reluctantly put their juice boxes into the trash and did as they were told with Garrus following behind.

"Okay, Administrator Jack will suspend four targets into the air and your job is to dispatch those targets as quickly, and efficiently, as possible." Garrus instructed from the front of the nervous group of children.

Jack used her biotics to pull the targets into the air and held them there in floating tandem.

"Plum, you come and give it a try." Jack said.

Andrasteia stared at the targets, which were now in the form of green snakes.

"I feel no need to hurt snakes..." The little girl said as she kept her eyes glued to the targets.

"But, I thought little girls hated snakes." Garrus was somewhat astonished.

"It isn't fair to hate anything if you don't understand them except out of fear." Andrasteia stated confidently, which caused her friends to clap in praise.

"Sometimes, I wish I could stitch your mouth shut for one day so you can't come up with smart remarks..."Jack grumbled.

Garrus thought for a moment and then his face brightened.

"Plum, pretend these targets will hurt your mommy! You are the only one who can save your mommy so what must you do?" Garrus asked with a dramatic tone of urgency to his voice.

A second later, a blinding flash of sapphire blue ignited the training room, followed by a thundering boom that shook the door to the room off its hinges and slammed the Turian against a wall. Garrus and Jack found their clothes singed, along with Jack's ponytail, but the targets were all incinerated and the other children were fine due to Portia's quick reflexes with setting up a barrier around her friends.

"Holy shit..." Jack breathed as she plopped down onto her butt.

Garrus coughed and wiped away black streaks covering his vision.

"Wow...what..." Garrus couldn't finish his sentence as he tried to recover from what he witnessed.

"Good job, Andrasteia and Portia. Nice job with the 'gentle coaxing', Garrus." Jack said, still numb with shock.

Garrus nodded his head and took a deep breath. Portia released the barrier and sneezed from the swirling plumes of smoke around her. Andrasteia dusted herself off and joined her friend.

"I think I need more juice."

* * *

Later that night, a little after 11:00pm, Andrasteia Shepard found herself tossing and turning in her little bed. She had her lavender colored doll with her but sleep was definitely eluding her tonight. The potent nightmares of green snakes coming after her mommy were keeping her awake and all she wanted to do right now was find comfort in her mother's arms. After a minute of contemplation, little Andrasteia gathered up her doll in one hand and padded silently out of her room thanks to the soft-gripped soles of her fuzzy blue onesie.

She reached the double doors to her parent's bedroom and she carefully turned the handle and slowly opened the door a crack. Her parents were asleep in their large bed, her mommy had one lithe arm draped over her papa's stomach and their blanket was pushed down to the bottom of the bed due to the summer's warm night. Or, at least she thought that was the reason.

A soft set of breathing could be heard in the room and the little one decided it was safe to sneak in. Andrasteia's tongue stuck out in the corner of her little mouth as she carefully tip-toed into the bedroom, making sure her steps remained as quiet as possible upon the thickly carpeted floor. She was near the bottom post of the bed when she accidentally tripped over a pillow and fell clumsily to the ground but with her doll securely grasped in her hand.

Shepard immediately awoke from her sleep and her glowing ruby eyes scanned the edge of the bed with wary intent. When she realized it was her little daughter, picking herself off from the ground, Shepard smiled and removed herself from the bed, causing Liara to stir awake from the disappearance of warmth.

"What is wrong, my dear?" Shepard asked as she carefully picked up Andrasteia and held her.

The little one looked at her father and then to her mother, who was propping herself up by one elbow and beckoned for Shepard to bring their child to bed.

"Is something wrong, Andrasteia?" Liara asked in warm tones as Shepard gently deposited their child between them on the mattress.

The little one snuggled up to her mother and reveled within her mother's warm embrace and felt immensely protected as her father pulled the blankets up around them.

"I have to sleep with you to protect you from green snakes..." Andrasteia's voice began to drawl into sleep as comfort quickly swept over her and she soon lost herself within the soft realm of her sweet dreams.

Liara raised an eyebrow and looked at Shepard, who in turn shrugged.

"What green snakes is she talking about, love?" Liara asked Shepard, with suspicion sparkling in her eyes.

Shepard, who had promised Garrus not to tell Liara about the training exercise earlier, feigned ignorance and buried her face into her daughter's soft back.

"I have no idea, probably just a nightmare. Goodnight!" Shepard said quickly.

Liara opened her mouth to say something but she didn't want to risk waking up her daughter and so she laid her head back down onto her pillow and smiled into the dark. With tender strokes, she caressed the side of her daughter's little face and gave Andrasteia a kiss upon her tiny nose. She wished that her mother, Benezia, could have met her little daughter. The matriarch would have been so proud to have a granddaughter who had a similar thinking process to her instead of like Matriarch Aethyta. With a bitter sweet smile, Liara closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Until next time!**


	3. A Picture Worth a Million Smiles

**So sorry for the long update. Real life just gets in the way lol. Please enjoy this next installment. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. Thank you!**

* * *

Liara T'Soni Shepard was sitting up in bed, propped up by a few pillows against her back with one hand holding up a data pad and the other, holding a cup of Thessian herbal tea. Her ocean blue eyes scanned the contents of the data pad as her sharp mind absorbed the information with categorical precision that could make a Geth blush. As her mind was completely occupied, she felt a small pressure against her bare legs and reluctantly removed her eyes from its primary focus to be greeted by smiling cyan eyes.

"Did you go to the bathroom, my darling?" Liara asked lovingly to her little daughter, who was attempting to climb the tall bed.

Andrasteia nodded her head and pulled herself up onto her mother's lap, with the help of Liara's biotics.

"Papa is coming up from the kitchen, she was getting a drink." The child stated just as her father walked into the master bedroom with a cup of coffee.

"How's your reading coming along, mommy?" Sylvana grinned to Liara as she sat down beside her wife.

Liara placed her tea and the data pad on a nearby stand and wrapped her arms around her little daughter as she leaned over to give Shepard a kiss.

"What took you so long?" Liara asked with an intoxicating strain of seduction to her voice which caused Shepard to nearly drop her coffee.

"It's her fault, she stalled me because she wanted milk."

Andrasteia stared at her father with pouty lips.

"I asked for warm milk but then you told me to 'chug' the cold glass of milk. It made my tummy hurt." Andrasteia whined as she buried her head into her mother's chest.

"Shepard! Warm milk is better for her stomach, especially in the morning." Liara scolded as she stroked the tiny, lavender head crests on her daughter.

"It was really cute watching her chug the milk though."

"That's so horrible..."

"Ah, she's definitely Aethyta's granddaughter, she knocked back that glass like a shot."

"...she's only 6 which basically makes her an infant in human terms, Shepard. She's more delicate than you think, love."

Shepard felt a sting of guilt and she rubbed her daughter's back, which caused the little one to look up and smile innocently at her father sire.

"I'm sorry, Andra...I should be more careful but I just forget since you speak better than most adults." Shepard said, with her eyes glowing like two sunsets.

"It's okay, papa." Andrasteia replied as she leaned her head against her mother's plush chest.

"Okay, I let you have your mommy's breasts during your breast-feeding time but I would like them back." Shepard growled childishly as she wrapped her arms around her giggling wife and tried to playfully tug her away from Andrasteia.

Liara let out a small squeal of delight as Shepard wrapped herself securely around her squirming wife and tried to keep Andrasteia away from getting to her mother. The child laughed at the simple game and attempted to squeeze herself between her mother and father but Shepard merely rolled over onto her other side, keeping her back to Andrasteia. As the game went on for a few minutes, a sharp throat clearing stopped them and the three detangled themselves from each other.

"If you ladies are done fondling each other, I request a plate of scrambled eggs." Aethyta said gruffly.

"But you're all grown up, why can't you make it, granny poo?" Andrasteia asked as she jumped off the bed and went to hug her grandfather.

"Scrambled eggs is an Earth thing, sweetie pie, and your mommy and daddy know how to make it better than I can."

"I watched papa make it and all she did was move some eggs around really fast in a bowl so it can't be too hard."

Shepard hung her head while Liara accidentally let out a small mirth of soft laughter.

"How about we all go into the kitchen and make breakfast together." Liara announced as she got off the bed.

Aethyta shrugged her shoulders and made her way to the kitchen with little Andrasteia holding her hand. Shepard reluctantly pulled herself away from the comforting bed and followed her beautiful wife out of the room.

* * *

"May I have this?" Andrasteia asked as she held up a bag of Earth potato chips.

Liara, Sylvana, and Andrasteia Shepard were at a quaint grocery store a few blocks from their house, stocking up on much needed items. Even though it was much more convenient to order groceries with the help of the internet, the young Asari mother insisted that physically going out to do the task was much healthier towards family bonding.

"Those are not good for you. You may have them as a snack, once in a great while, when you're at least 40 but not now, my baby." Liara cooed sternly as she slightly narrowed her eyes at her daughter, which caused the little one to reluctantly obey.

The two went on down the aisle for some time until Liara realized that Sylvana was not with them. Her mind went through a jolt of panic as she turned her head in various directions, searching for her dark-haired love through the lightly crowded store. But then, a light touch upon her arm pulled her out of emergency mode and her eyes grazed the comforting face of her bondmate.

"Darling, where did you go?" Liara asked as she tried to mask her flushed face with the back of her hand.

Shepard was busy chewing something and she tried to smile with a full mouth as she raised a half-eaten hot dog to show her wife.

"They're selling snacks and things next door so I thought I'd grab something to eat." Shepard could feel the heat emanating from her wife's eyes like hot lasers and she painfully gulped down the partially masticated food.

"Why couldn't you inform me? And you KNOW how much I abhor junk food, Shepard." Liara put her hands on her hips as their little daughter stared, wide-eyed at the two.

Ever since the business with the reapers had ended, Liara had put a tight leash upon Shepard. She constantly worried about her love and couldn't help the over-protectiveness that seemed to jar her every emotion and decision when it came to her bondmate. Shepard understood Liara's concerns but a part of her couldn't help but give into her independent side, which caused the young Asari mother's heart to constantly do somersaults within the tight vaults of her chest.

"Liara, relax. I am very sorry for leaving without saying anything but I am going to be alright, I am not a little child." Shepard said softly as she wrapped her toned arms around her quivering wife.

Liara sighed and rested her head upon Shepard's shoulder.

"I know...but...I can't help but feel so panicked when you're not beside me..." Liara kissed Shepard's cheek and gently pulled herself out of her bondmate's embrace.

"Can we get crackers?" Andrasteia asked abruptly as she was returning from another aisle with a large box of unsalted crackers, dangling within her tiny arms.

Liara smiled and nodded her head.

"She is just like you; so independent and able to make decisive decisions. It'll break my heart the day she declares she doesn't need me." Liara said sadly as she watched her little daughter teeter away to another aisle in search of acceptable snacks.

Shepard grabbed Liara's hand.

"There will never be a day that your daughter will throw you away. You will always be her best friend and she will always turn to you." Shepard kissed her wife's forehead, sending sparks flying within Liara's heart.

"Sometimes, you can be such an idiot for flying into the face of danger without a second thought but I guess I can forgive you for saying things to make my heart ache." Liara said through lowered lashes, which Shepard responded with a butterfly kiss that brought together a pair of soft lips.

"You know, I think we should get your father something." The commander said as she gently clasped her wife's hand and lead her slowly through the store.

"What were you thinking, love?" The young Asari mother asked as her eyes scanned the shelves around her.

"She has to be so lonely and sad without your mother so you should get her something that can connect your father, your mother, and our daughter together. Something that can tie them all into one picture since Andra will never get to know her grandmother and I'm sure your father would love to share some part of her with our baby." Shepard stooped down to grab a bag of chocolates but Liara gently swat her hand and led her junk-food crazed bondmate away from that part of the aisle.

"I don't know how we can do that. Perhaps create a hologram with my parents and Andrasteia in it together?"

Andrasteia sauntered back to them, carrying a giant puzzle set in her aching arms and she heaved it into Shepard's shin, which the stoic commander tried to smile the sudden pain away with a failed smile.

"Papa, look, it says we can program the puzzles with pictures!" The young one said breathlessly as she plopped down upon her little bottom, clutching her precious lavender doll.

Shepard scooped up her tired child with one strong arm and picked up the puzzle set with her other and glanced at the descriptions. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at Liara and her wife nodded her head and smiled back in silent agreement.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on a simple day and the beautiful Shepard household was filled with light-hearted giggles as dinner was being prepared. Everyone was in the kitchen with Liara preparing the main dinner dish with Shepard's help and Andrasteia was sitting at the kitchen counter with Matriarch Aethyta, putting together the 500 piece, holographic jigsaw puzzle that they procured earlier at the store.

The baby Asari had only worked on the puzzle for a few hours but she had already finished more than half of the puzzle while Aethyta was getting slightly frustrated by the repetitive task and decided that she was going to force the pieces to match, regardless of how much they complained.

"Granny poo...that piece doesn't fit with the picture." Andrasteia said with a quirked eyebrow as she swat her grandfather's hand away from trying to fit two completely different pieces together.

"Can't we go watch a movie or something while your parents cook?" Aethyta asked in a tired voice.

Liara gave her father sire and her daughter a lop-sided grin.

"It's good for Andrasteia to accomplish things like this with her family. It creates important, and lasting, bonds." The all-knowing Asari mother said as she washed her hands in the sink.

The matriarch snorted and was about to quip something clever back when her granddaughter beckoned for her undivided attention. Aethyta stared at Andrasteia as the child neatly fit the last puzzle piece together and looked up at her grandfather in triumphant accomplishment. The matriarch took a moment to adjust her eyes to what she was seeing to justify the tears that began welling up. She loomed over the holographic puzzle as it shimmered and sparkled with the grinning faces of a young Benezia and Aethyta, holding hands in front of a beautiful waterfall. The picture was absolutely gorgeous and the love the two Asari had for each other was clearly portrayed as Benezia lovingly held Aethya's hand and rested her head on Aethyta's shoulder.

"Where...where did you get this?" Aethyta asked hoarsely as she gently ran her finger tips over Benezia's holographic face.

"It was a heavily encrypted file mother had stored away. I found it and managed to hack it open a year ago but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to give it to you. I didn't want to force anything upon you, father." Liara said softly as she studied her father's sadness take over her face.

"You wouldn't have been forcing anything on me, child. When your mother decided we were not to be anymore, I destroyed all our pictures together in the heat of the moment and regretted it ever since." Aethyta looked up at her daughter as her heart was breaking all over again but at the same time, mending with a promise of closure. "But, now I can have a piece of our history back. Now, I can share some part of your mother with your little daughter." The matriarch patted Andrasteia on the head and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Father, I hope I didn't over-step my boundaries...Shepard and I just wanted Andrasteia to share the love you have for mother with her."

"I am not angry at you at all but next time you find something important like this, please bring it to me." Aethyta said with a mischievous smile.

Liara said nothing as she walked around the counter and embraced her father. Andrasteia squirmed into the middle and sandwiched herself between the two beautiful Asari as Shepard stood in the background, happily watching the lovely women in her life create everlasting roots within each other's hearts. However, her little daughter pulled away from the tangle of limbs and dragged her father sire to join in the hug so that she too could cement those eternal bonds with everyone as well.

* * *

**Thank you for reading...until next time.**


	4. A Star in Bloom

It was decisive defeat; the treble clef vibrations of torrential doom, ready to swallow her whole. The world was beginning to fade quickly and her vision was becoming blurred as she began to ready herself for the end to come. Her eyes squeezed shut as her muscles tightened in reflexive embrace and hugged her skeleton like a python to its prey.

"Papa?" Andrasteia's clear voice rang out through her mind, causing Commander Sylvana Shepard to suck in a sharp breath of air and quickly regain her stoic composure.

The human shook her head to clear the fog clouding her thoughts then gazed down at her only child, who looked up at her father sire with worry swimming within her glowing cyan eyes.

"What is it, Andra?" The human asked as she shook off the last shackles of her post traumatic stress disorder.

"Are you okay? You looked really scared." The child was always startled when she felt like her father's confident and protective shell was upon the cusp of crumbling. This was her pillar of strength and sword of victory and it hurt the child to know that even her father's immortal fame as being an omnipotent commander only hid the tender mortal beneath.

"Of course, I was just thinking about what to eat tonight." Shepard said as she swiftly picked up her child and slowly walked away from the entrance to the Gifted Program for Exceptional Biotic Children.

"I got my report card today, papa." The young child's voice trailed off into uncomfortable silence as she handed a tiny data pad to Shepard.

She took it while looking quizzically at her child and scanned the contents of the device.

"I don't see anything wrong."

"I got a +++ in Fitness!" The child wailed as she threw her head onto her father's shoulder.

"What does that mean?"

"That's equivalent to a **B** in human educational terms!"

"...when did you learn how to use the word 'equivalent'?"

Andrasteia shook her head in frustration and took the data pad from her father.

"Mommy is going to turn me into whiskey and then have granny poo drink me when she sees this."

Shepard scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

"Well first of all, your mother will not turn you into an alcoholic beverage because going through labor with you was harder than taking down the reapers, apparently. Two, this is a progress report and you have plenty of time to bring this up." Shepard adjusted Andrasteia's weight in her arms as she kept up a steady, brisk pace.

"You promise to advocate my case to mommy?"

"...when did you learn the word 'advocate'?"

Andrasteia sighed and smiled at her father and hugged the warm human tight as she slowly shook her head.

* * *

Dr. Liara T'Soni Shepard felt another mild headache begin at the base of her temple and she winced in pain at its sudden onslaught. She had been feeling slightly under the weather for the past few days by pain that attacked her head with a hammer and her abdomen with electricity. She had taken medication to try and quell the disruptions to her health but they did little to dull the edge.

So, now she sat in the doctor's office, upon an examination table, eagerly awaiting her doctor to come to her with the results of the blood tests. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest as she sat upon the cold, metal table and stared at the blank wall before her. It felt like a slow eternity before the door opened and the familiar face of Dr. Karin Chakwas appeared into the room.

The doctor was on a temporary stay on Thessia, training curious Asari doctors in the art of human medicine, before she took her leave back to Earth to resume help with the arduous rebuilding there. Luckily, Liara found out, through her many veins of information, that her old friend happened to be on Thessia and so she decided that it wouldn't hurt to be examined by a familiar face.

"Dr. Liara T'Soni Shepard, what have you gotten yourself into now?" The older doctor mused with a soft smile as she pulled up a swiveling chair in front of Liara.

Liara placed a quivering hand against the side of her neck and took in a deep breath.

"I don't know what I could have done wrong, doctor. Perhaps I am not getting enough sleep?" Liara asked, nervously.

Dr. Chakwas sat down across from Liara and carefully looked through her notes that were held together upon a weathered clipboard.

"Your blood tests came back normal but certain hormones were slightly elevated. Tell me, have you been having some odd abdominal pain lately?"

"Yes, and some headaches as well."

Dr. Chakwas pursed her lips and nodded her head before looking up at Liara.

"Please tell me you and Shepard planned this."

Liara's eyes grew wide.

"Excuse me, doctor?"

"I hope you two are ready for another responsibility added upon Andrasteia."

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with Andrasteia."

Dr. Chakwas smiled and the lines around her eyes became more apparent.

"Congratulations, Liara. You're pregnant."

* * *

The afternoon was slowly giving way to evening and within the Shepard household, the commander and her daughter were in the kitchen while Matriarch Aethyta was lounging in the living room. Shepard and Andrasteia were keeping each other company as Shepard was diligently doing the dishes before Liara came home.

"Papa, do you think I should go into commando training first?" Andrasteia asked as she sat upon the kitchen counter, watching her stoic father sire scrubbing at a grease mottled pan.

"You can be whatever you wish, as long as it isn't an illegal trade." Papa Shepard said, keeping her ruby red eyes focused upon the task at hand.

"Granny poo thinks I should roam the world as a commando first and then settle down to my studies before I find my bond mate. If I ever want to become a good Matriarch, I should be as cultured as possible and have as many life experiences as I can for the sake of being knowledgeable." The little Asari said as she kicked her legs back and forth.

Shepard used her forearm to move a lock of hair from her face and she turned her eyes to her daughter and gave her a smile.

"If you believe that is what you need to accomplish, then I will support you in your endeavors. Your mother will support you as well but if you ever feel lost, you can always look to her for guidance."

Andrasteia smiled lovingly at her father sire and moved to give her a hug but then Matriarch Aethyta burst into the kitchen, dragging a very blushing Liara behind her. Shepard nearly jumped into the air from shock but her face eased as her attention fell upon her wife.

"You're back, Liara." Shepard said through a smile as she wiped her hands clean on a nearby towel.

Liara tried to get to her 'husband' but Aethyta refused to let go.

"WAIT, before you two kiss, you must tell her the good news!" Aethyta nearly shouted to Liara.

"What news, Liara?" Shepard asked softly.

Liara smiled and her eyes lit up like fireflies in the night.

"I'm pregnant, Shepard..." The young Asari's voice trailed off like smoke into the wind.

Shepard's face brightened considerably and she hugged her wife into a crushing embrace and they both shared a kiss as Aethyta and Andrasteia covered their eyes while blushing. Liara pulled back and smiled at the beautiful commander before her.

"I am so happy to hear that...I was wondering when we'd add more to our little family." Shepard said almost through a whisper.

"I was slightly afraid that you would be disappointed but I am glad to know that you are satisfied with knowing this." Liara's eyes were filling with glistening tears of joy.

"I am so happy to be able to have more children with a gorgeous Asari as yourself. If you don't mind, I consider myself quite lucky to have you."

Liara blushed at the compliment and squeezed her lover's hand in response.

"I get a new sister?" Andrasteia asked as she climbed off the counter.

Aethyta grabbed the young Asari and held her up to her face.

"Let's hope you get more than one sister. How about asking your mother for a sister every year!" Aethyta laughed as Liara's face blanched and Shepard giggled with mischievousness.

"If you're done teasing, father, I must make dinner for us now." Liara said as she made her way to the refrigerator to get out the ingredients for dinner.

Shepard stood in the same place with an enormous grin plastered across her face as she watched her wife. She felt so happy that she felt as if her heart would explode through her rib cage and flay itself upon the kitchen floor for all to see. Her emotions did not go unnoticed by the matriarch, who came by to stand next to the grinning commander.

"I'm glad that you're that happy about having another kid." Aethyta said as she gently eased her granddaughter back to the ground.

The two father sires watched Liara and her daughter roam about the kitchen, preparing the food together.

"I am so ecstatic to have another child with Liara. It makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such a perfect woman want to have children with a nobody like me. To have little Liaras running around is just so amazing." Shepard said, dreamily.

"You're a great dad, Shepard. Don't you forget that raising a family is a two person job and you and my daughter are pretty damn good at navigating its stormy seas. As long as you don't break my daughter's heart, you'll be fine."

"What would happen if I break Liara's heart? Not that I ever would." Shepard said through a quirky smile.

"I'd tear you apart within the molecular level with my biotics, human. Don't you even think of hurting her, not even as a joke. She is the closest thing to Benezia that I have left and so I'll protect her, even if she doesn't want me to." Aethyta said with steel in her voice.

Shepard could only nod her head as she resumed watching Liara take command of the kitchen.

"Well, you need not worry about all of that. I love Liara more than anything else in this world. If it means saving Liara and watching the galaxy burn, then the galaxy can go up in flames."

Aethyta smiled at Shepard and gave her a silent nod of approval. She focused her eyes onto Liara and Andrasteia and the matriarch felt a sharp pain in her chest as her thoughts moved back to the days Benezia was a part of her life. How badly she had wanted to be a part of Benezia and Liara's life together but she could make up for it now as a father. Now, she had the opportunity to help raise and be a part of a growing family and leave her mark to be carried on into the unknown realms of tomorrow. Now, she had the opportunity to watch her offspring bring more beautiful life into this world and to help change the galaxy for the better.


End file.
